Carl Sagan could read a cookbook (apple pie recipe?) and it would sound profound. Hearing that inimitable voice recite his own writing, rich with musings on the nature of the cosmos and humanity, one cannot help but well up with wonder and zeal at the awe-inspiring majesty of our universe. Reid Gower’s Sagan Series, which consists of little more than Sagan’s dictated writings cut with sweeping imagery and music, was created with the sole purpose of inspiring scientific literacy and appreciation. His work has earned him millions of Youtube views and even a TED talk.

Sagan’s words, unsurprisingly, have proven tremendously prescient. They remain perhaps the best and most eloquent distillation of the cosmic perspective, a long view all too easily forgotten in the midst of pettier concerns. Let’s hope never to lose the joyous wonder and optimism that such a perspective affords.